AirHead256

IMHO, a complete greenhorn that is trying to decide if flying RC is the thing they want to make their next hobby - - drum roll please - -
should grab a Carl Goldberg Gentle Lady or
a Great Planes Spriit 2 meter kit and fly that.
Why? Glad you asked -
They are cheap kits
They are real easy to build right.
They fly real slow
You don't need to spend $$ on motors, engines, speed controlers
They are pretty darned easy to fly, especially w/ some experienced glider guy to help trim them out at first.

And last but not least - once you get good at flying one of these (requires thinking ahead about landing, etc.), you can probably out fly 80% of the power R/C weinies.
Gluck.
Perry of OLD GAS BAG, the Orginization Largly Devoted to Glider And Sailplane Bashing And Gluing.

Montague

I'll disagree with that one . However, there is no doubt in my mind that
1) flying a glider will make you a better power pilot in some areas (landing espeically) and
2) flying a glider and flying power are very different in some other key aspects, so I'd be willing to bet that I could fly a glider for the first time better than many glider guys could fly some of my powered planes for the first time .

AirHead256

I notice one of your by-lines is Chief flight instructor, so I'll definitly give you the point that you'd no doubt do just fine w/ your first glider fllight.
Being a darned good R/C pilot, I'm sure your blood preasure doesn't go through the same kind of spastic convulsions that your fellow clubies experience, when you yell "Dead Stick!".
That is exactly where the glider guy lives every moment of flight.
I've handed the Tx off to experienced power guys a lot of times, and in the vast majority of cases, the Sophisticated Lady or Spirit on the other end got pretty rough handling. Usually I get it pack PDQ so I can pull it out of what ever porposing act it is currently engaged in.
I think the main difference is what represents normal response to inputs, as the typical CG for power is well forward (hence, much more stable flying) than the optimum CG for a glider. We want those gliders twitchy and as close to unstable as we can stand it. Gives us better air readings if it is just waiting for the slightest puff to rattle it's cage.
Just my experience in the field, flying w/ the regular power Joe.
Thanks for the feedback, by the way, do you instruct in gliders, too? Anyone in your club do that?

raptor5900

My Feedback: (4)

2M glider and 2M pattern are very diferent hehe

TallDude.

My Feedback: (2)

Three of the first planes I few 25 or so years ago were the Gentle Lady, Piece O Cake, and the Sig Kadet.

All of them were great for teaching me the basics with the aid of a good instructor.

Montague

Actually, I've flown a G'Lady off a highstart a few times years ago. No problems flying it, but I didn't know squat about thermal hunting (still don't), so the flights were short. Looking back, and knowing now what I didn't know then, I suspect the CG was, in fact, too far forward, and I'm a much better pilot now than I was then.

Part of learning to fly at my club is learning how to handle deadstick landings, after all, they are rather common, so I'd think that any decent power pilot should be able to establish a stable glide and get it close to the runway and down with out resorting to a one-point landing. We require a couple of simulated deadstick landings before signing somone off, and it's no uncommon for the engine to die accidentally during the "simulations" from idling too low too long. Even on a "normal" landing, I stress establishing a stable "glide" on the landing approach.

Now, if you have the CG cranked way far back, I agree, a lot of guys can't handle that in anything, glider or powered. I happen to be pretty good with abserdly far back CGs from flying combat, where the name of the game is turning as fast and tightly while going as fast as we can, and holding those tight turns or loops constantly if we have to. But if you add a few oz of lead to a trainer and give it to most guys, they'd have trouble, so I have no doubt that a glider set up for competition or well optimized would be touchy on the elevators. I also know zippo about managing wing camber and sink rates when hunting thermals. So even now, with a real great glider, I suspect I'd have some really short flights, but I am confident I wouldn't break anything

KG4EHL

My Feedback: (3)

Thought I would chime in.... a few of you stated that there are big differences between Power and glider and your absolutely right BUT Flying is flying in respect to a new person learning to fly... By that I mean a new flier has to learn asap the difference between a plane flying away from you as well as flying toward you.... That has been and always will be the first struggle. The next is the "feeling" Feel the airplane and what it is doing and that only comes with stick time. My self learning, Most of the fields in my area were taken away and replaced with Soccer fields and R/C was basically banned, by people with thought we were foolish to hog a field that could be used for other things..... Ok we could have shared... or at least I thought we could OK OK Anyway I had a great instructor I got 4 flights with him on my Eaglet 50 before the field went away.No landings no take offs just minimal stick time... and NO buddy box. So I bought a Glady to finish learning on my own. I flew that G -lady for 8 months and put it in the ground more time than I care to think about I finally filled and glassed the nose... Anyway this was perfect for teaching me how to land, fly a circuit of predefined maneuvers and find all the thermals. and get the "feel" for the airplane. I got to the point I could lounge in my lawn chair and fly the plane for average of 15-20 minutes and land it in my hand while still in the chair. I then found a field to fly the eaglet50 and that is what I did. Take off, landing point to point maneuvers it did not glide as slowly but there was no problem moving from one to the other. BUT this is how I did it... combination of things might make it different for some one else... types of planes instruction wind weather anything and everything. To make this SHORT I would Always suggest a glider like the G-lady as the absolutely perfect first plane.... Instruction is always suggested at least for a couple of sessions...heck a glider would be perfect for so many people to brush up on "dead stick" landing and learning to glide in instead of carrier deck landing and multiple landing gear failures.

Just my own thoughts!
Happy flying!